Improvement in children s carriages



J. L G0 RTELYDU Oh i I'd ran s Barri ages.

No.l49, 838.

Patented April 21, 1874.

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liq/M JACOB L. OORTELYOU, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDRENS CARRlAGE$.

Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 149,838, dated April 21,1874 application filed f December 12, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnoon L. OonrnLYoU, of the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Childrens Carriages; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part ofthis specification This invention relates to that class of childrenscarriages or perambulators in which the body is so arranged as to bereversible-that is to say, so that it may be caused to face in arearward direction, or toward the propellinghandles, as well as in theopposite or forward direction. Heretofore this has been accomplished bypivoting the propelling-handles to the reaches and then pivoting thebody. to a cross-piece secured to the handles. (See patcut to Wightman,June 13, 1871.) In order to reverse the body in this arrangement, so asto beside this, much inconvenience and trouble are necessarily incurredeach time the carriagebody is reversed, and, furthermore, thepropelling-handles and other parts are liable to be injured by unduestrain. Another way here- .tofore existing of constructing a reversiblebody ohilds carriage, (see patent to Atwater J une 4,1872,) is byproviding the front curved ends of the reaches or sills with a sharperand longer curve than usual, so as to place the body somewhat higher,and, by connecting the rear end or part of such reaches or sills to therear axle by fiat springs curved to correspond with the curved frontends of the sills, and arranged between the sill and the axle. The bodyis then mounted on these elevated sills or reaches, and placed thereon alittle farther forward than usual, so that the curve of its back willenable it to clear the rear wheels.

With this construction the lifting of the body, incident to thepreviouslydescribed construction, is avoided, but other difficulties areencountered. When the body has been reversed so that it will face thepropelling-handles, substantially the whole weight of the body is thrownupon the curved forward ends of the reaches, and hence upon the frontwheels, and the whole structure is overbalanced and awkward to manage,it being a difficult task to elevate the forward wheels by depressingthe propelling-handles in the usual way, in order to mount a curbstoneor other obstruction; and the strain comes upon the reaches, axles, andrear springs in an entirely improper and unnatural manner, for thereason that the construction of the running-gear is not sutficien tlychanged to be adapted to a changeable body;

and hence the body rides unsteady, and does not present a naturalappearance, whichever way the body happens to face.

Now that I have pointed out some of the objectionable featuresparticularly appertainiug to the two respective styles of reversiblebody childrens carriages referred to, I will mention one very greatobjection common to both of the said styles of carriage. In a childscarriage it has been found that it is actually necessary to have aspring resistance of some kind located under the rear part of the bodyof the carriage; otherwise the baby in the can riage would be fearfullyjolted, even when propellin g the carriage along a sidewalk where theflagging-stones are laid with ordinary evenness. Now, in the example ofreversible body childs carriage hereinabove first alluded to (Wightmans)there are no springs at all; and in the example last alluded to,(Atwaters,) when the body is in a reversed position-that -is, facingrearward-4t is thrown off or away from the sustaining-springs, so thatthere is no sprin g-resistance of any kind under the rear part of thebody; in fact, when the body is reversed the carriage is little betterthan the other one referred to, which makes no pretence at all in theway of springs. It therefore follows that a reversible body childscarriage constructed in either of the above ways possesses so manyobjectionable features as to fall far short of the requirements of thepublic.

The object, therefore, of my invention is to produce a childs carriageor perambulator in which the body can be reversed easily and quicklywithout raising the same or taking the child out, and the weight ofwhich, when reversed, will be properly distributed between thcforwardand rear axles, and which will have the adequate spring-sustaining powerwhen in in a reversed position, and consequently be a thoroughlypractical and efficient reversible body childs carriage or perambulator.

To such end my invention consists in the combination of the followingparts: A pivoted and reversible body, a front and a rear axle, and frontand rear wheels, reaches or sills between the axles, propelling-handlesand elliptical or other suitable springs arranged between the saidreversible body and the said reaches or sills, whereby I am enabled toproduce a thoroughly practical, durable, and efficient reversible bodychilds carriage or perambulator. It also consists in the combination,with the front and rear axles of a childs oarriage, of two reachesextending from the forward to the rear axle, and then upward, so as toform propelling-handles without a break or joint between a reach and apropelling-handle, whereby great strength in one of the most materialparts of the carriage is obtained.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a childscarriage or perambulator, one of the rear wheels having been removed, asindicated by the line 00 m, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bottomof such carriage or perambulator. Fig. 3 is avert-ical section taken 011the plane of the line 3 Fig. 2.

A A designate the two rear wheels, and B B the two forward wheels, ofthe perambulator. The said rear wheels are mounted upon an axle, G, andthe forward wheels upon an axle, D. I have shown the rear wheels A A somounted upon their axle as to be arranged outside of the body, as in anordinary roadwaycarriage, and I have shown the forward wheels B B somounted upon their axle as to be arranged within the reaches or sills EE butI will remark that any of the well-known arrangements of wheelswill admit of the application of my invention. For instance, both pairsof wheels may be outside of the sills, or reaches, or body, and mayeither revolve upon stationary axles or may be secured to revolvingaxles. F F are the propellinghandles. I preferably make thepropelling-handle F and reach E in one piece, or of one strip of wood ormetal, and the propelling-handle F and reach E" in the same manner, asin such case I obtain greater strength and durability than when thepropelling-handles are made of separate pieces and attached by screws,pivots, or nails. to the body, or reaches, or axle. G designates thebody of the carriage, which may be provided with a top, H, and a seat ofthe usual or any suitable construction. I I are two cir; cular platesforming a turn-table for reversing, the position of the carriage-body G,the plate I being secured to the under side of the body G, so as to restupon the plate I, which is sc cured to cross-bars KK, or theirequivalents, mounted on the supporting-springs J J, the two plates beingheld together by a pin, a, t which serves as a pivot. Any suitable meansmay be employed for securing the body when facing in either a forward orrearward direction. I have shown pins 1) I) projecting from oppositesides of the plate I, and a springcatch, 0, secured to the cross-bar K,for engaging with the said pins. The arrangement of thesesupporting-springs is an important feature of my invention. I have shownelliptical springs, one of which isv supported on a cross-bar, L,extending from one reach to the other, and the other upon the rear axleC; but any other suitable style, as well as arrangement of spring, willanswer the purpose; but these springs J J should be so located on thereaches with respect to the axles of the carriage as to bring the weightof the body, when reversed, on the said springs, and as much, if notmore, upon the rear axle and wheels, than upon the front axle andwheels, so that the front wheels may be raised in the usual manner forascending a curbstone by bearin g down upon the propelling-handles. Inthe arrangement shown this can be done easily, whether the carriage-bodybe facing in a forward or a rearward direction, and this is a mostimportant desideratum in a childs carriage with a reversible body. Andbesides this, the construction I have shown enables me to use reaches orsills arranged on substantially the same horizontal plane as the axles,and to use elliptical springs.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The pivoted body G, bearing-plates I I, springs J J placed above thereaches, the reaches E E, and propelling-handles F F, all. combined andapplied to the axles of a childs carriage so that the body may bereversed above the wheels, as set forth.

2. The combination of the propelling-handles and reaches E F and E F,each constructed of a continuous piece with the axles O (l, springs J J,and reversible body G, substantially as described.

J. L. GORTELYOU.

WVitnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, A. J. DELACY.

